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Q: If you potty your child over a public toilet in a stall, where do you set the diaper (and pants) you took off of them and how do you clean up if they do a poo? ~Sarah, Salem, OR, USA

A: Sarah, this is such a great, practical question!

I’ve had plenty of personal experience with it, as I held my son in-arms over the toilet up until about 2 weeks ago when I finally got him to fearlessly sit on a public toilet! (He’s now 2 years 3 months.)

So…hold your baby snuggly in one arm as you use your other hand to remove his diaper and pants.

Where to stash the diaper and pants

As you remove these items, stick them between your knees.

If there’s a hook on the bathroom door, drape the items over that hook.

Or, if you have a diaper bag or purse with you, set it on the floor and carefully set the items on top of it…or stuff the diaper and pants inside your purse as you wear it!

Yep, all a balancing act, but what else can we do?

Cleaning up after pottying your baby in a public restroom

If your baby has pooped, oftentimes it will have come out clean…which means you won’t have to wipe.

So, check it out. Peek at the bottom and see if it was a clean one or not, gently spreading the cheeks to get a good look.

If it’s not a clean one (darn!) go ahead and use a piece of toilet paper and dab it off. Or if you have a baby wipe handy, use it there in the stall.

If that doesn’t work, shuffle your way out of the stall (totally fun acrobatics) and toward the (gosh I hope they have one) diaper changing station. There you can use a wipe and clean the poo off the anus a little more thoroughly.

Lastly, no diaper changing station? No baby wipes? Make your way to the sink and rinse his bottom off with some warm water, while he’s draped over your non-dominant arm (left arm if you’re a right handed person), and then dab (do not wipe) with a paper towel.

How to drape your baby over your arm while you rinse his bottom with water. Use at your own risk!(This is a screenshot of one of my private video collection videos {they come with my book} that teaches how to clean a baby bottom without a wipee.)

So there you have it!

Thanks for the awesome question, Sarah!

If you have any tips or advice or stories of similar situations (and your solutions!), please add them to the comments below.

Oh, yes, Audrey! Forgot about those two options. If someone walked in on me during a baby potty they’d laugh at the pants between my legs. I couldn’t quite get things to balance on my shoulder *while* bending over…but I admire you for being able to do it! And the railing…definitely have done and recommend that one, for sure. Thanks! xxxAndrea

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